New Bald Eagle at Patoka Reservoir

Dana Reckelhoff, interpretive naturalist at Patoka Reservoir, trained a new 11-month-old bald eagle at the park’s visitor center Wednesday. During training, the eagle becomes familiar with perching on Reckelhoff’s arm. The eagle was born in Alaska and recuperated in California from an injury suffered in a nest collapse. The bird is unable to fly. Heather Rousseau/The Herald

The bald eagle at Patoka Reservoir is the first at the facility since its predecessor died in 2009. The new raptor will simply be called “eagle” because park officials treat all animals — even those in captivity — as if they’re wild; thus, the eagle will not be assigned a pet name.
Heather Rousseau/The Herald